


Roses Look How Love Feels

by apollostrials



Series: Madam Spellman [3]
Category: Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (TV 2018)
Genre: Blind AU, F/F, F/M, Gen, Madam Spellman - Freeform, Mambo Marie/Mary Wardwell, Mortal AU, Sabrina will not be in a relationship in this pic cause goddamn there's too much in canon lmao, also v soft, it's cute idk!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-29
Updated: 2020-05-23
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:42:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22945726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/apollostrials/pseuds/apollostrials
Summary: Mary Wardwell and Lilith Taylor are twin sisters that were separated at birth. Lilith grew up in Scottland and Mary, in Greendale. After an accident that leaves Lilith blind, she moves to Greendale with her sister who she had found out about shortly before. Zelda Spellman's nephew, Ambrose Spellman, has been blind for a few years and sometimes volunteers at a shelter that is ran by Mary Wardwell's wife, Marie LeFleur. Of course, Zelda is instantly intrigued by her childhood friend's mysterious twin sister.Will romance ensue? Will Zelda be able to help Lilith with work out the ghost of her past? All Zelda and Lilith are both sure of is that their chance encounter will probably change their lives forever.
Relationships: Dr. Cerberus/Hilda Spellman, Marie LaFleur (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina)/Zelda Spellman/Mary Wardwell | Madam Satan | Lilith, Prudence Night/Ambrose Spellman, Zelda Spellman/Mary Wardwell | Madam Satan | Lilith
Series: Madam Spellman [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1762645
Comments: 28
Kudos: 74





	1. One: Side A

**Author's Note:**

> This is a Madam Spellman AU that I've been thinking about for a while! I hope you guys enjoy it! :)

Zelda sat in her car for several minutes looking over the paperwork she should’ve turned in an entire week ago. 

It wasn’t that she was a regularly irresponsible person, it was that life at the Spellman mortuary had been wild of late with her youngest sister married and out of the house. Things had always been so much easier with Hilda with her, and Zelda had been struggling to balance Ambrose and Sabrina and work since the beginning of the month when things were packed and years old routines were dismissed with the sound of the moving truck. 

She shuffled the papers back into the folder, grabbed her purse, and hoped Ambrose would be ready on time. They would be having a big family dinner tonight and Hilda would have a fit if it wasn’t perfect. 

The door chimed when she walked into  _ LeFleur’s Rehabilitation Center _ , heels clicking across the floor as she made her way to the corner where Prudence and Ambrose were shamelessly flirting with each other. 

“Hello auntie Z,” Ambrose said with a smile. 

“Hi Ms.Spellman,” Prudence added. 

“Hello Prudence,” Zelda replied kindly, “Ambrose, how did you know it was me, I hadn’t even spoken yet.” 

“No one else’s shoes ring with impatience like yours auntie Z.” 

“I’ll let that one go since you seem to be in a particularly cheeky mood today. I’m going to turn in these insurance papers and then we can go. We cannot be late for dinner tonight. I really don’t appreciate being lectured.” And Hilda had lectured her for it for weeks. 

“Ah… I forgot about dinner tonight! Is it okay if…?”

“Yes, Prudence, you can come. As long as you have him ready to go in ten minutes.”

“On it ma’am!” 

“No later than.” She reminded them as she turned to walk to the front desk. Marie LeFleur herself typing away on the computer behind the desk. She was a beautiful woman; dark skin and deep brown eyes wrapped in colorful fabric and a rich New Orleans accent. 

“Zelda Spellman, as I live and breathe.” 

“No  _ ma cherie  _ today?” Zelda placed the insurance papers on the counter while Marie mused over her words. “Or is Mary getting jealous?” Mary Wardwell-LeFleur and Marie had been married for over five years now. Zelda, having known Mary for the entirety of her life was just as surprised as everyone when the once church girl came back from a trip down South with a woman on her arm. 

“ _ Vous connaissez  _ Spellman, she’s got love for you too.” They were also in an open relationship. Very open. “When’s the last time you’ve been on a date, Zelda? A few centuries?” 

“Ha, very funny. And I don’t have time for dating at the moment. I’ve got a kid who’s blind and is almost off to college, another one who thinks she’s right all the time, and with my sister gone the amount of work at the Mortuary I’ve had to make up for…” 

“Yet Ambrose isn’t really a child anymore, is he? He’s eighteen, perfectly capable of handling himself. With Sabrina, you know how she is… sometimes it’s best you let her make her own decisions and figure it out for herself. It will save you the headache in the long run. And work? Can’t really be helped, can it? But how many people are really dying in the small town of Greendale?” 

“You’d be surprised, Marie. The deaths we get from Riverdale and Center City are even more harrowing.” 

“Hmm, those are big scary places.” 

“You’re telling me…” Marie finished up updating Ambrose’s information from the paperwork onto the computer, Zelda stared out into space and watched as various volunteers and patients communicated, listened to their audiobooks, and went on with their day. 

That’s what Zelda loved the most about the place, it was always peaceful as if Marie had this magic touch about her. When the center opened four years ago it had been a saving grace to the Spellman family. They knew Ambrose would have gone blind eventually; bioptic glaucoma was how the doctor prescribed it. Hilda and Zelda had tried to be particularly proactive, teaching him how to read in braille (after learning for themselves), read as much as they could about how to be helpful as possible. Even Sabrina had stepped up tremendously. But they didn’t understand what it was like. It was nice to see Ambrose have friends who could relate to him, like Rosalind Walker who came in most days after school. And of course, Prudence, who was Marie’s niece that had moved up to Greendale with her, was probably Ambrose’s favorite reason for showing up. 

“There you are, Spellman. All set!” 

“Thank you-”

“I can find the stupid chair, Mary.” Interrupted Zelda before she could finish her conversation with Marie. She turned her attention to where the voice was coming from. She had to do a double-take. 

“I-I didn’t know that Mary had a sister?” 

“Who, Lilith? Yeah, poor dear. She just came in from Scottland last week. She’s been staying with us. Not very talkative, not even to Mary. It’s sad. They had been separated since birth and they only now get to connect via  _ une tragédie. _ ” 

“I know you can Lilith, I’m just trying to be helpful!”

“Well you aren’t being helpful, at all, so leave.” Mary’s sister’s, Lilith’s voice carried so much bitterness it made Zelda shiver. She saw Mary’s lip quiver and push herself away from the table. 

“Okay, I’m sorry, I’ll leave you alone.” Zelda kept staring even after Mary took her leave. She just barely registered Marie leaving to follow her. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew it was incredibly rude to stare at someone who couldn’t even see that you were staring, but she couldn’t help it. 

Lilith was so different than Mary. All that softness she associated with her face was absent. She carried her eyes with sharpness, her hair was wild around her face; the opposite of Mary’s normal buns. Physically, they were the exact same, but everything else about them was unique. 

“You ready to go aunt Z? I think it’s been over ten minutes.” 

“Yeah,” Zelda blinked herself out of her trance, looking back to her nephew and Prudence with a small smile on her face. “Sabrina should be home soon as well.” 

__________

“Sister! How I’ve missed you!” One of Zelda’s biggest regrets was not hugging Hilda enough. She had seen her sister only twice this month since she moved out, it weighed on her more than she probably realized. 

“I’ve missed you too Hildie. Come in, it’s freezing outside.” Hilda and her new husband, Lance, followed her into the dining room. Lance had two trays of food in his arms, and in Hilda’s, a container of her special cake she had been excited about making all week. Zelda was a hopeless cook. Sabrina and herself threw together a decent salad to go with the roast and potatoes. They lived off of pizza and Thai takeout more nights than Zelda would have liked. 

“It smells like proper food in here, aunt Hilda must’ve walked through the door!” 

“Oh, Ambrose! Don’t give your aunt Zelda a hard time.” 

“I think that’s the other one,” 

“I’m right here y’know?” Sabrina replied. She took one of the trays from Lance and went to set it in the center of the table.

“Sorry cous, can’t really see, well, anything.” 

“Okay,” Zelda interrupted before they argued for the third time since they had arrived home. “Who’s ready to eat?” 

Conversation flowed freely between everyone at the table, and it felt nice having a full house again. Sabrina had joined the cheer team that day. She had spent hours in the back yard practicing her routines, and Prudence was the captain and had encouraged her to pursue it even through her doubts. Zelda was happy that it worked out. 

Ambrose was waiting patiently for his acceptance letters from various schools along with Prudence. It was their senior year and they were both excited to graduate in the spring. For Zelda and Hilda, the closer spring got, the more nervous they both were. Some of the colleges that Ambrose had applied to were farther away than what was comfortable for the two aunties. 

Zelda updated Hilda on some mortuary things. Her life was pretty boring outside of the kids. 

“Are you still volunteering at the center on Thursday aunt Zelda?” 

“Absolutely Ambrose, 4 o’clock right?” 

“Yep,” Prudence replied. “You can spend more time staring at  _ tante _ Mary’s mysterious Scottish twin sister.” 

“Mary Wardwell has a sister?!” Hilda asked surprised. “I’ve been friends with Mary since the fifth grade and she never mentioned that to me.” 

“I think she just found out actually, Marie said that Lilith arrived sometime last week,” Zelda told her sister, more than happy to move the attention away from herself. 

“Mmhmm,” Prudence added. “She’s a bit of a nightmare if you ask me. But we are supposed to be extra nice to her. Tragic backstory or something.” 

“And she looks  _ exactly _ like Mrs. Wardwell?” Sabrina asked, “Wow it’s like… Freaky Friday or something.” 

“I don’t think that’s the right movie reference,” Lance entertained. 

“Regardless,” Hilda interrupted, “We should try to be as supportive as possible. Especially to Mary, poor dear, she must be freaking out. Prudence, do let us know if she needs anything, okay?” 

“I’ll let her know.” 

Dinner continued nicely and Hilda received ample amounts of praise for her cake. Zelda let her head wander to Thursday evening. She wouldn’t lie to herself and say she wasn’t interested in learning more about the mysterious Lilith Wardwell? She was sure Lilith wouldn’t share the same surname as her sister. Mary grew up with her dad so, assuming Lilith grew up with their mother, she would probably have her maiden name. 

Nothing would be discovered until Thursday, an entire three days away. And yes, Zelda did spend all 72 hours wondering how she would begin to approach the sharp edge that was this woman. 

  
  
  


  
  



	2. One: Side B

There were a few things Lilith Taylor did not enjoy being: and one of them was being babied. 

She tried to be understanding of her sister’s nature, but after the whirlwind of a  _ life  _ she had experienced, she just wanted to be left alone. Mary hardly allowed her to breathe without support, and it was tiring trying to be nice all the time. Lilith had a temper on her on a good day and no days had been good since the accident. They had hardly been good before. Somewhere in her mind Lilith knew that she was jealous of the life that Mary got to lead. It was an ugly feeling, but it was hard to ignore. 

Mary got their doting father, Lilith got their alcoholic mother. Mary had a wonderful wife, Lilith had… well, Lucifer was anything but wonderful. 

Despite all of that, she tried to think on the bright side. At least she was out of Scotland, out of the company of Lucifer and  _ thankfully  _ almost out of her marriage. She had a family now, a weird-ass family, but a family nonetheless. Now if she could just get Mary to leave her in the bathroom alone when she was showering… maybe if Lilith slipped and hit her head hard enough, it would be enough to bring her sight back. 

“Lilith… are you in here?” And there was her twelve p.m. check-up. 

“Where else would I be, Mary? You won’t let me walk down the steps without an escort.” Lilith heard the door creak open, her sister’s tentative footsteps coming across the floor, closer to the bed where Lilith had been all morning since breakfast. She hadn’t bothered with lunch. 

“Oh, good, you’re already dressed!” 

“Mhm, thanks to those lovely cubbies you set up for me. Now I can be positive all of my clothes match.” Her sister laughed nervously, Lilith could imagine her hands folded in front of her as she figured out what to say next. The second thing Lilith hated was being lied to, and that is why she spent so much time learning to read people. Sight or no sight, Mary gave tells like unsolicited advice. 

“Well, that’s wonderful! You shouldn’t spend all day in your room with those lovely silks on. I was about to head down to the center and meet Marie, Prudence will join us after her school is out… why don’t you come along? There won’t be many people today, it should be peaceful.” 

“Oi, I get to see the world today?” 

“Um…”

“That was a joke, I can’t actually see anything.” 

“Well, you certainly got me. I’m happy to see you smile.” There was a clattering of dishes to the right of her, presumably Mary taking her uneaten lunch plate. “I’ll be waiting downstairs, you can take them on your own this time. Your shoes are to the right of you. Let me know if you need help.” 

The door closed behind her, and Lilith was left to her own devices. She wasn’t too sure about going to the center, but no one knew her here, and so she stomached down the embarrassment she felt flare up within her, and reached for her shoes. They were some sensibly feeling flats, but damn did she miss wearing heels. So many things had changed in such a short time, but she couldn’t focus on those now. 

Pushing herself from the bed and grabbing the walking stick, she decided that for now, she would just brave the steps. 

____________

  
  


The drive there was relatively long, maybe forty minutes, but Mary and Marie did live on the outskirts of town. It was described to her as a cottage, which in her opinion, seemed right up Mary’s alley. Lilith had lived in cities forever. She had even gone to college in London, business school, where she excelled academically but remained somewhat of an emotional recluse. 

It was where she had met Lucifer, who seemed just as detached as she was. His family already owned businesses, and he was the classic case of privileged sociopathic tendencies that should have been massive red flags. But she was only twenty-two, full of ambition, and love was never in her cards so she didn’t bother to look for it. 

Now she was forty-three, trying to relearn the alphabet in braille from restaurant menus in her sister’s office. She had listened to audiobook chapters, had even played with the fidget cube Marie had handed her when she realized how restless Lilith was. Greendale was very quiet which was all well and good, but she missed the noise of the city and being out and about. With things so under the radar here she felt a bit stuck. It was making it even harder to adjust here. 

Things did start getting interesting after Mary had unnecessarily lead her to a seat in the main lobby once people were starting to leave. Lilith didn’t consider herself a nosey woman, but she was the only one around here that could go under the title of “Mary’s sister”, so when she heard herself being talked about, of course, she listened in. 

The woman didn’t say much, Marie did most of the talking, (Lilith tried to ignore the patronizing way she was being referred to). But her voice was distinct and unforgettable from what she did say. Deep and raspy, rounded vowels and sharp consonants even with the light tone she carried. 

From the conversations the other woman lead, Lilith knew that her name was Z. Spellman, had a nephew who was also blind, and she owned a Mortuary. A little morbid for Lilith’s taste, but Spellman was already the most interesting person she had heard of since coming to Greendale. Luckily for her, the mysterious woman would be returning next Thursday, and for the first time in a long time, Lilith felt excited. 

So excited, in fact, that she began her investigation that night at dinner. It was the most she had talked since being here, and it was easy enough to hear the happiness and relief in Mary and Marie’s voices that Lilith was engaged for once. 

“Who was that woman today at the center?” 

“Which woman  _ chère _ _? _ ” Marie answered knowingly. 

“You know which one. The bird with all the questions about me?” 

“Ah, Zelda Spellman? She was only curious about you. It’s not every day you see a childhood friend’s mysterious sister with issues of  _ l’attitude. _ ” 

“I wouldn’t say we were friends in our youth,” Mary started before Lilith could correct Marie, knowing full well she had a right to her attitude issues. “I was closer with her younger sister Hilda, Zelda was a bit of a bully.” 

“Hmm,” Lilith mused. “I like her already.” 

“Yes, both of you would get along nicely.” 

“And her status? Married or spinster?” 

“Zelda never did get married, although she almost was. What was that weird fellow’s name… Blackwood?” Mary began. 

“Faustus Blackwood,” Marie answered, “He was more than weird Mary he was  _ un Homme maléfique.  _ Remember, he worked with the oldest-”

“Edward, yes, I do remember!” 

“I’ve heard of Faustus Blackwood before… but Edward?” Lilith asked. 

“Edward Spellman. He was a business owner, not of the Mortuary exclusively. He had some shady business with Blackwood. Unfortunately, Edward, and his wife Diana, died a few years back.” Mary answered. 

“And thankfully that Blackwood character is in jail. Guess he got caught up with the worst of the worst.” Lilith knew full well that the worst of the worst was Lucifer. She had met Faustus Blackwood on multiple occasions and he was another class A jerk, the only thing making him different than her husband was that he was such an idiot. Lilith didn’t comment on it any further, and they didn’t ask her how she knew. Marie and Mary were well aware of who she was married to and probably connected the dots on their own. 

The night went on much the same, Lilith speaking less once her curiosity was satisfied. She was content with eating her dinner, which was phenomenal as Marie had cooked that night (Mary was hopeless, in her opinion), and let their conversation become background noise to her thoughts. 

Dinner was over soon enough and Lilith was more than happy to return to bed as this was the more human interaction she was emotionally prepared to deal with that day. She even let Mary brush her hair for her out of the shower as she was too lazy to do it her self. 

Some time within the following hour, she heard Prudence come in and join Marie and Mary downstairs. Lilith tried her hardest to sleep, the noise from downstairs didn’t bother her at all, but her mind raced with the thought of meeting Zelda Spellman. A woman she was more connected to than she originally thought. It was easy to feel relief for her, Faustus was a little bitch and she had really dodged a bullet by not marrying him. Even though Lilith was anxious about this new information, she wouldn’t let it get in the way of making a new friend who was interested enough in her. 

All she could do was wait until Thursday, and try her hardest to push the past behind her. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally updated! I really love Lilith's internal monologue. Like she doesn't care and yet cares so much?? But I'm so excited for Lilith and Zelda to finally meet :))


	3. Two: Side A

Zelda was more nervous than she anticipated she would be. 

Thursday came by so fast; the week was a whirlwind of paperwork, cheer practices, and trying to understand how to fill out the FAFSA for Ambrose. Hilda had been around more, sensing that Zelda was probably about to explode with the stress. And as guilty as Zelda wanted to feel about taking up most of her sister’s attention, considering she had her own household now, it was hard not to feel relief that she was still on her priority list. 

But it was around four p.m., she had about ten minutes to get out of the door and into the car if she wanted to be on time for once, and she still had no idea how to broach a conversation with Lilith. Being nosey was one of Zelda’s worst traits, but she couldn’t help but be curious. 

She also wouldn’t mind a new friend. Marie and Mary were great but, well, she was definitely an outsider there. And if Lilith had her issues, it didn’t matter to the redhead. Zelda would be understanding. She wouldn’t be the only one with issues at least.

“Zelda, c’mon, we’re gonna be late!” 

“Wait,  _ we’re  _ gonna be late?” She asked her sister. Hilda appeared around the corner to their, once shared, bedroom. 

“It’s volunteer day, isn’t it?” 

“Yes, like every Thursday. I just… I thought you’d be at the bookshop today?” 

“I was supposed to be but, truth be told, I miss Ambrose. All of you really. And you know, he’ll be off to college soon. I may not live here, and maybe I can’t see him every day like I used to…” 

“It’s alright if you want to spend some time with him, he really misses you too.” Hilda gave a grateful smile, and Zelda grabbed her purse from the nightstand. 

“Well, we shouldn’t waste any more time!” Was her nice way of telling Zelda to hurry up. 

__________

The car ride over was nice, only about ten minutes away from the Mortuary. The air was cool but the sun was out, making it a beautiful day altogether. Zelda would hopefully be able to spend some time outside before it got dark. She wanted to enjoy as much of the warm part of fall before the chill really began to hit Greendale. 

They parked in an empty parking space. Hilda was behind the wheel as she always scolded Zelda for her poor driving skills, and the redhead was not in the mood to hear it. Her heart sped up as the ignition was turned off, and she sat still in her seat even as her sister unlocked her door and got out. 

“Should I give you a moment with the hearse?” Hilda asked sarcastically. Zelda schooled her features, threw a half-hearted glare at her sister, and followed her out of the car and into the center. 

“ _ Bonjour  _ Zelda  _ et  _ Hilda,  _ comment allez-vous tous _ ?” 

“ _ Bon,”  _

“Great! And you?” Hilda responded. 

“Amazing, amazing! Oh, Mary darling, Zelda and Hilda are here!” Mary came from around the desk where she was properly hidden, excitement illuminated her face at the sight of her childhood best friend. 

“Hilda, it’s so nice to see you!” They embraced, and Zelda took the time to look around to see if Lilith was there. 

“Your friend is in the office if you would like to join her,  _ Cherie.”  _ Marie held a mischievous glint in her eyes when she spoke to Zelda. “You must be very impressive to have caught her attention,  _ hmm? _ ” 

“I suppose I must be,” Marie led Zelda towards the office, “though I suspect yours and Mary’s hands behind this?” 

“I will not confirm nor deny any part we may or may not have had in this,  _ Cherie.  _ But do enjoy her wonderful company, I’m sure she’ll be on her best behavior.” The office door was opened and Zelda stepped through the door behind Marie. 

Now that Zelda had the chance to really look at Lilith, she figured this woman was never on her best behavior for anyone. Her blue eyes pierced the air in a different way than Mary’s did. She was mischievous where Mary was warm. Zelda’s heart was beating out of her chest, she was pretty sure the entire room could hear it. 

“Lilith, you have a visitor.” 

“Wonderful, would the guest like to introduce herself?” 

“Hello, I’m Zelda Spellman, it’s nice to meet you.” Wow, she sounded like such a dork. 

“Lilith, Lilith Taylor. And likewise.” 

“Well, I will leave you both to it. Lilith, I urge you to be kind.” Marie said pointedly. 

“Always, Marie.” 

Soon they were left alone, and Zelda stood awkwardly by the door for a few moments, unsure of what to say. 

“Won’t you join me? It will be very weird for both of us if you act as if I will bite. I am just a helpless blind woman after all.” The redhead moved closer, taking the seat across from Lilith quite cautiously, arm resting on the desk beside them. 

“You don’t seem so helpless.” 

“No, I’ve never been that.” She replied with amusement. Lilith’s hand grabbed Zelda’s with such stealth, she almost jumped out of her skin. Tentatively, Lilith’s fingers ran over the material of her shirt and her pulse point. “Expensive taste, Ms. Spellman.” 

“You can call me Zelda.” 

“Well, Zelda, you own the Mortuary correct?” 

“Yes, I do, with my sister Hilda.” Their hands were still linked and the initial shock turned into a comfortable buzzing between them. They talked for almost an hour about the nonsensical things in Zelda’s life before Lilith asked if they could take the conversation outside. 

After some slight begging on Zelda’s part to Mary, they were allowed to leave. Zelda knew of a park near there where they could sit and continue their discussion, and she bought them both coffee to combat the chill that came quickly since she had first entered the building. 

The bench they chose was directly under the sun so they could catch the last dregs of warmth for the time they would spend there. Zelda admired Lilith with some curiosity, thinking how strange and mysterious she was even in the calculated way she sipped her drink. 

“It’s rude to stare, you know?” Lilith turned to her smiling, entertained by Zelda’s awkwardness. “If it’s my face you should just tell me.” 

“I don’t think anything could ever be wrong with your face.” Zelda replied, a blush spreading across her face from her lousy attempt at flirting. 

“Wow, what a compliment. I would return to it but you could look like a troll for all I know.” 

“I don’t look like a troll,” She pouted defensively, looking the other way in embarrassment. Zelda couldn’t remember the last time she had been this flustered, and was sure her face would be permanently rosy from all the blushing she had done in the last hour and a half. 

“I’m just joking Zelda, I’m sure my sister would’ve informed me if that were true.”

“How is it? Living with your sister? And in Greendale, all of a sudden?” 

“It’s all very new. At first, I absolutely dreaded it. Greendale is so small and different from the cities I’ve lived in. But now it isn’t so bad. I think Mary is beginning to understand that her suffocating me is not helping much.” They both laughed a bit at that, Zelda knowing exactly what Lilith meant as Hilda often babied her to her great annoyance. But now she missed it dearly. 

“That’s Mary for you. She has a big heart though, you’re very lucky.” 

“Do you have any other siblings? Other than Hilda?”

“Yes, actually. Hilda and I had two other siblings; our older sister Viana and older brother Edward, but they are no longer here with us.” 

“I’m sorry for your loss.” 

“It’s alright,” Zelda shook her head. “It’s been years.”  _ And it was probably for the better.  _ She added in her head. Often, Zelda thought about her older siblings. How distant Viana was, how cold and harsh Edward always seemed to be. Her and Hilda were just fine on their own. 

Zelda felt Lilith shiver beside her, the wind picking up slightly and brushing her dark hair over her face. 

“It seems like it’s about to rain,” Lilith commented, pulling her hair behind her ear.

“It probably will,” Zelda pursed her lips in thought. Maybe it was time to take a leap of faith. “Would you be open to continuing this? On Saturday, seven o’clock?” 

“You’re cheekier than I thought you’d be, asking me on a date so soon.” A flutter of pride came over Zelda at the sight of Lilith all flustered. Lilith seemed determined to make Zelda feel the same throughout the afternoon. 

“So, is that a yes?” There was a moment of pause, and Zelda was afraid that maybe she had overstepped, but Lilith’s answer gave some relief. 

“Sure, why not?. So, where are you taking me?” 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's been so long! I just finished my semester so hopefully I can get chapters out more quickly. Hope you enjoyed :)


	4. Two: Side B

Lilith had had very little experience with positive stress, but her date with Zelda to “continue their conversation” as it was so suavely put, was giving her a lot of stress about how positively she wanted it to go. 

Mary was beside herself with joy, offering to do her hair and dress her like a doll, or a child on their way to the first day of kindergarten, not that there was much of a difference in Lilith’s mind. Prudence had gracefully stepped in to do make-up after informing Lilith that Mary hadn’t touched so much as a blush palette in the entirety of the time she had known her. 

She had let them do whatever they wished within boundaries, threatening that if she ended up looking clownish, she would find a way to make them regret it, trusting that someone would be honest with her about the results. But they brushed her off, assuring her that they would make her nothing less than impressive for her date with Zelda. 

Marie had informed her that it was now 6:15 pm when she was finally set free from her sister and niece, around the time that Zelda would arrive to collect her for their date at _La Maison,_ a French restaurant that was in Riverdale and very much up Zelda’s alley according to the woman herself. She caressed the silk of her dress to abate her nerves and tried not to think about all of the wrong things she could do or say. 

“ _ Ah, c’est ton rendez-vous _ ! I’ll get the door…” She heard Marie from her periphery, yet she hadn’t heard the doorbell in her over-thinking. Lilith normally had things under her control, even after her accident, but there was something about Zelda that unnerved her. And it wasn’t her brother’s connection to Lucifer, as Lilith chalked it up to a nonplus. The business world was a vast and nebulous place, and yet everyone seemed to know everyone. 

It was Zelda herself, halfway between an open book and a mystery, that Lilith was keen on understanding fully. Maybe she would be able to open up to the other woman as well, given the chance. 

She rose from her seat in what was the lounge area in the cottage and made her way to the door, nonverbally counting the paces, and landed somewhere behind Marie as the other woman opened the door. 

“Zelda,  _ bonne rencontre!  _ Come in, come in.” She heard the click of Zelda’s heels, a familiar trait about the other woman that she had stored away in her brain in her goal to fit the puzzle pieces together. Zelda’s hand, warm and inviting, came to hold her’s, her thumb caressing the back of Lilith’s hand gently. 

“You’re beautiful, Lilith.” She brought Zelda’s hand up to her lips, pressed them gently against the soft skin. 

“Thank you, Zelda.” 

“Ready to go?” 

“Mhmm.” 

__________

  
  


The ride there was calming, full of the lilt of French music and the smooth sound of Zelda’s voice singing just under the artists’. Their hands were still intertwined on Lilith’s lap, and if Zelda minded that she was absentmindedly playing with the delicate chain on her wrist, she said nothing. It was a nervous habit of hers that was hard to kick. 

Once they arrived, Zelda led them from the car in the direction of the restaurant, and she picked up quickly on the low chatter of those around them, the scent of fresh bread coming from the kitchen, and the continuation of music that flowed seamlessly from the drive here to their arrival. 

“Ah,  _ Mademoiselle  _ Spellman, it’s nice to see you again!” 

“Et Toi Jameson, it’s been quite some time since I’ve ventured over to Riverdale.” 

“And for a good reason, I see. Who might your guest be with _ la magie  _ to get you out of the house?” 

“Lilith,” She introduced herself, holding out her hand right away so she would not have to search for his. The man, Jameson, had the rough hands of a chef, and his grip was firm and assured. He must’ve kept a high status here. 

“It is lovely to make your acquaintance! Now come along, I’ve saved you both a great table.” 

She presumed, due to the downflow of noise, that they were placed somewhere more secluded, to which Lilith was grateful. It would be easier to concentrate on the woman in front of her without the distractions. Zelda and Jameson exchanged a few words in French that she hadn’t paid attention to, not that she would have understood much, trying to decipher where her silverware was in front of her. 

“You are a very interesting woman, you know?” Lilith began the conversation. 

“How did you come to that conclusion?” 

“Well, you seem to be an incredibly cultured Parisian with the voice of an angel, and excellent taste in music.” A shy laugh escaped from Zelda’s lips that ended almost as fast as it began. 

“ _ Voice of an angel,  _ you’re flattering,” 

“I don’t flatter just anyone, Zelda. It makes me wonder what other hidden talents you have?” 

“I do have three other languages I could try to seduce you in,” Lilith’s skin tingled in response to Zelda trailing her fingers across the plane of her forearm, “But this plan seems to be working just fine.” 

Their conversation was briefly interrupted by the waitress coming by with drinks and menus (Lilith’s was in Braille, which Zelda refused to take credit for, but Lilith knew and was very grateful for her being so caring); and the wine that she ordered at Zelda’s suggestion was divine. 

“What about the  _ illustrious  _ Lilith Taylor? It’s not every day we get someone new in Greendale. I bet your backstory is interesting.” 

“ _ Weighted,  _ more like. But I suppose it is a story for the ages. Traveled for a bit, in the East-mostly for work. Dubai was always my favorite. And I had lived in Italy for some time as well before finally moving to London and well, now I’m in the colonies.” 

“Is Scottland not a colony itself?” Zelda responded jovially. 

“Ehm, we are more of a rambunctious sub-unit with better parties and better alcohol.” 

“You’ll have to take me there one day. It’d be interesting to witness you in your element, with your superior parties and alcohol.” 

“I’ll take you up on that, Spellman. To see if you can handle me  _ super-Scottish. _ ” 

The night went on, Lilith learning even more about her date for the night; like how much she cared for her niece and nephew: Sabrina and Ambrose. How she too, traveled much in her youth to various countries (France was her favorite, which was not surprising), acting as a midwife in many of them. Her thoughts on her sister Hilda’s recent marriage to the bookshop owner in Greendale, and even about how she wanted to retire the family’s Mortuary business and change course. 

“What would be your plans after leaving the Mortuary behind?” 

“I think I’d enjoy being a midwife again. The complete opposite of what I’m doing now, helping to bring life into the world. It would be refreshing after being surrounded by so much death for so long.” Lilith contemplated the other woman’s words, thinking about how it was precious, the way that Zelda saw the world. With the way she doted on the children in her care, Lilith could imagine that being a midwife was something Zelda would always excel at. 

“I’m sorry, that’s a bit morbid.” 

“No, it’s fine,” Lilith replied, assuring Zelda, “I think you should do what makes you passionate. I find you quite admirable.” 

“ _ Admirable _ , huh?” 

“Absolutely, you’re a classified well-rounded individual. And you know who you are. That’s rare to find.” 

The rest of the date went wonderfully, a second one already set up as they were eager to meet each other soon. The night was full of cheeky banter that often tethered something deeper if one knew the cipher. 

And when they had arrived back at her sister’s cottage, and Zelda had walked her up the path and to the door, Lilith found that she would be waiting anxiously until the next time they could be together. 

“I had an amazing time tonight, Zelda, thank you.” 

“The pleasure is all mine,” Lilith could sense some hesitancy in Zelda before the other woman doted a kiss on her cheek that left her more speechless than she’d ever care to admit. 

“ _ Bonne nui _ , Lilith.” 

“ _ Bonne nui _ .” She replied softly as she heard Zelda’s heels click away into the night. 

She would have to convince Marie to start teaching her French. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been listening to my mom's collection of French love songs on vinyl for the past week to get into the mood to write this and I have to say, I'm ready for Zelda to pick me up for a date at a niche French restaurant across the river and woo me over fine wine and dining xD. Hope you enjoyed!


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